Favorite scrapbook page in awhile.

The boys are down, it's a Sunday afternoon, and we're not at a family gathering! Since I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened in the last 2 years, I am taking advantage of it. Am I napping, you ask? Uhh... that would probably be the wisest choice, but no, I'm SCRAPBOOKING! There is something about just sitting down and doing it that is sooo therapeutic for me, it is relaxing, and rejuvenates me. I know, when the Master Elecrtician wired me, I turned out a little odd! :-) Anyhow, I just scrapped this page, and it is just one that makes me smile. My mom and Carol have been friends my entire life. They have gone through many happy times, and many hard times together. They have gone through times when they are on the phone together for hours each day, and times when they won't talk for several weeks. They are still friends. I know that God placed each one in the other's life for a purpose. I have wonderful memories of these two together. The things they find funny, locked doors, coffee, sillyness, praying for each other, did I mention coffee? Anyhow... I salute you girls, thank you for your example!

Crab and Corn!

After a long day, we were all ready to settle down for the night. Weston was in bed, and Wayne was on his way. Then I got a call from Tyson and Breanne, who had been CRABBING! So, we changed gears and got the water going. Tyler went and picked up corn, and by the time they arrived at our house, the water was boiling! Just then, Wayne came downstairs, not wanting to miss out on the fun. We let him stay up, and eat crab and corn with all the adults. Thanks guys, it was delicious! I can now check the last thing off of my summer to-d0 list...
Go to the zoo check!
Go to the bay check!
Fun at the fair check!
Eat crab and corn for dinner! check!

A Day at the Bay

We spent Saturday at the bay with Tyler's family. We started off by clam digging (quite a feat with that many adults and children!) and then had a BBQ and ice cream cake to celebrate his Mom's birthday (we won't mention how many years *young* she is! :-) It was a really nice time, but boy, are kids sure a lot of work! I know all of you reading this know that already, but nothing reminds you more than an abnormal day! Wayne missed his usual naptime, and boy do I just feel guilty over that. He just gets all out of sorts, and even rougher than normal. I know it's unfair to push him like that, so I only do it OCCASIONALLY and for a very good reason. Weston was the iron man.... he only slept for 10 minutes in the morning, and then maybe 20 minutes on Aunt Tanya. And that was it for the day. Unbelievable! Wayne had a doozy of an injury day... a black eye in the morning from hitting his head on the headboard, a scraped leg down at the bay, and a smashed finger in the door at night!


The "camp" site, or clam cleaning station if you prefer!

Two cousins, hanging out.
Tyler and the monster clam he dug up!
Weston loved being outside and in the middle of all the action.


Stay tuned for more posting... we had surprise company on Saturday night!

Soon to be outnumbered

On Friday night, we were invited for a BBQ to visit with all of our friends, including the Lohrer's from Oklahoma! Of course, us women couldn't pass up the opportunity to get all the kids into a photo... A sanity-defying 10 minutes! This was the best picture that I got, And it all went quickly downhill... note the missing children, and general chaos in this one!
Dana and Susan chattin' it up.
Nathan and Kate's new baby boy, Riley. He would only stop crying if Nathan held him like this!
Tyler was great with the boys, and helped out a TON! I was able to visit and even eat dinner. What a guy!

Plan all you want...

But the weather will mess you up! Things I planned to do today:

• Paint the garage
• Host a garage sale at my house
• Do yardwork

And here is what actually got done:

• Clean bathrooms
• Clean the upstairs, including organizing, clothes rotation for the boys, Pledge, and all that other fun stuff
• Made a trip to Lowe's and bought a new fridge for in the garage
• Made a trip to Lynden for a hot/cold outdoor faucet, and run to Bumblebee's (shoot, I forgot the bib I was supposed to get! Guess I'll have to go back!)
• Made baby food
• Played LOTS of farm with Wayne. We delivered hay to all the hungry animals.

In other news... Weston is sleeping today! After a 3 day virtual drought, he is now down for his second nap lasting longer than 3o minutes... Happy Day! Tyler and Wayne just left to bring stuff back to my Dad, and I'm going to scrapbook. Yeah!

Still too cool for School! :-)

Yes, we are too cool for school. With Nooksack starting this week, I am counting my lucky stars that Wayne is 2, and not going to school. I am savoring this time, because I know that all too soon, it will be his time to go. My heart is not strong enough for that yet! He will not go to school, be out of my sight, eat without someone watching him, be responsible for his own things, have to deal with the whole "friend" thing, or HEAVENS! ride the bus alone! Not this year, not ever. Okay, I might have to work on the "not ever" thing, but I've got time.

Hi, this is Brenna the babysitter.

I babysat for Tanya today. The boys are so cute!!! Wayne was so funny he started crying when his mom left and I tried to explain where she went and that she would be back in just a little while and as he was crying he was like ok in this crying little voice and it was the cutest thing ever. Weston was so happy and cheerful as normal. He is so darling!! Wayne is too!! Now Tanya and I made some chocalate chip peanutbutter cookies. The dough was very good. Well I have to go check them talk to you all later. Brenna

Dinner Time

Ahh... Dinner time at the Silves house. I know I'm freaky, but I insist on a sit down dinner, with the boys (or at least Wayne) as the norm, not an exception to the norm. I was raised having dinner at a set time every day. It was always homemade, and it was always plentiful and FABULOUS. I want my kids to have the same memories! So, last night's menu was lasagna (Wayne helped to make it... he's in charge of the cheese. I grate extra) corn on the cob, and garlic bread; a Silves Family Favorite!) Weston hung out in the roundabout while we all ate. Hopefully you're not too bored by our "day in the life" reporting, but Wayne was just so darn cute eating, "CORN!" (I've heard this word upwards of 5oo times in the last few days!)

"my turn!"

Aww... Wayne! That kid is just too adorable. His talking has just exploded... he is adding words to his vocab every day. I am sitting here working on my laptop, and I just observed him walking up to Tyler and saying, "Pillow! My turn!" For some of you who don't know, Tyler is in love with his pillow. It's gross. He carries it downstairs every morning, and upstairs every night. Wayne has picked up on this, and often lays on it, especially when Tyler is at work. Apparently he was in the mood to do so again, and thought he was well within his rights to ask Tyler for it! :-) I think a little bit of Tyler's heart was breaking, but it was more than accounted for by the other part of his heart swelling with pride that his boy wanted his precious pillow!

Photo Shoot!

Now that I have my new camera, I thought I'd take a moment to photograph my dear nephew and nieces! They are such darling children, and it was fun to see how much older they are now, compared to last year's photo shoot. I love, love the pictures (yeah, I took 240 pictures in 90 minutes!) and am grateful for digital! When my sister-in-law went to pick them up, Costco wanted the copyright release because they thought the pictures were taken by a professional. Go me! :-) And I know there are a lot of picts. here, but seriously, 15 out of 260 is a pretty narrow selection! And props go to my mom.... we used her yard and landscaping as our background. It is just GORGEOUS!

Nesting...

As the weather changes, we have been all about NESTING here in the Silves household. When the mood strikes him, and usually several times a day, Wayne gathers his "things"... typically this includes is blankie, binky, several books, his sippy cup, a stuffed animal, a farm animal, and if he can squeeze it in, a car. Sometimes he even asks for "howp!" because he is so loaded down! Then he finds his SPOT. This is usually the couch, his basketball chair, or upstairs in our bed. He then proceeds to read, drink, and play, for anywhere from 15 minutes to an HOUR! What a silly kid. He doesn't have to get up, because he's hauled everything he could possibly need with him!

I was watching the two boys together the other day. Weston was fussing and starting to cry, and Wayne was "howping" by bringing him toys. When that didn't work, he brought Weston a blankie and snuggled it by his face. When that didn't work, he shook his finger at Weston and said, "Wesson, be ki-et!" His words are so darn cute! He is really starting to get conversational too, which is fun. In fact, the other day, he told me (finger wagging again!) "NO Mom, it's mine!" Such progress!

Finally, he is all boy. He scared the living daylights out of me this morning. He was playing in his room, and all of a sudden I heard pounding and thudding coming down the stairs. I jumped up, only to find that he had come down on his stomach FAST! He had a big ol' grin on his face, as if to say, "Hah! I scared you Mom!"

Best Zuchinni Recipe Ever!

BATTER-FRIED ZUCCHINI STICKS
Printed from COOKS.COM
1 c. sifted flour1 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt1 egg, lightly beaten1 c. milk2 tbsp. oil1 lb. zucchini, cut into 3 or 4-inch sticksAdditional flour (optional)Oil for deep frying

SAUCE:
Mix mayonaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper, crushed garlic and dried dill.

Sift flour with baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine egg, milk and 2 tablespoons oil. Slowly add to dry ingredients, beating until smooth. Pat zucchini sticks very dry and if desired dredge lightly in flour. Dip pieces, one at a time, in batter. Fry in deep oil heated to 375 degrees (medium heat) until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired.

Makes 2 dozen.

Fun in the Sun

Not much going around here lately. I've just been busy with work, and cleaning house. Seriously, how does the laundry pile up and the baseboards get so dirty so fast? Unbelievable. And why do things break? I just spent 30 minutes on hold waiting to order a part for our toilet. Then, the guy never even asked what part I needed to order, he just wrapped up the call. I said, wait, how do you know that's what I need? And he replied, that's what everyone needs. No charge, it's under warranty. Aagh!!! Just make a stinking toilet that works people! Anyway, that's another rant. I can't believe the end of August is approaching. Crazy! Wayne just playing in Auntie Tara's pool. He is such a goof!
The fam
Auntie Tara is due in two weeks!
Tyler dragging Wayne all over the backyard.

Pickin' the Blues!

Family fun... picking blueberries at the McPhail's! Auntie with her nieces and nephews.
Waynard-Paynard... he is so scrawny!

And a little Weston-peston...
Wayne and Ethan pretending to be kitties.
Two chefs in the kitchen!
The cousins...